Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that a new question on sexuality will be tested for inclusion in the next census, reversing an earlier decision not to add a question that recognises LGBTQ+ Australians in the national survey.
Speaking to ABC Radio Melbourne, Mr Albanese described the decision as a “commonsense position,” confirming that discussions with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have led to the testing of a new question on sexuality.
“There will be a question as long as the testing goes well,” Mr Albanese stated.
This shift follows comments from Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who had previously expressed concerns that adding such a question could become “divisive.” The initial decision not to include the question sparked significant internal dissent within the Labor Party, with criticism coming from Assistant Minister Ged Kearney and five other Labor MPs. These MPs argued that including a question on sexuality would affirm to the LGBTQ+ community that “you count and you matter,” suggesting that omission could raise human rights concerns.
The Albanese government has now faced two waves of internal discord within weeks, with this controversy over census data collection following closely on the heels of another dispute.
While Mr Albanese refrained from describing the decision as a reversal, he noted that although several ministers had confirmed the question would not be included, he had not yet been asked about the matter until now. The Prime Minister had attended the Pacific Islands Forum overseas when the initial decision was announced.
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Anna Cody criticised the earlier omission of the question, calling it “patronising and paternalistic” to avoid the issue out of fear of sparking harmful debate. A number of Coalition MPs also expressed their surprise, indicating they had no objections to including the question. However, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton suggested that the issue was part of a “woke agenda,” stating that the current census questions were sufficient.
Equality Australia welcomed the government’s reversal but expressed concern over the lack of clarity regarding the inclusion of questions about trans or gender-diverse people and those with innate variations of sex characteristics. Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown stressed the importance of the census reflecting all communities, noting that many countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Scotland, and New Zealand, already gather such data.
The Greens have pledged to continue pushing the issue in parliament. They plan to force a vote to ensure questions on diverse gender identities and sex characteristics are included unless the government commits to doing so before parliament reconvenes next month.
